Department of the Interior report calls for paperwork instead of Arctic protection

Commenting on the Department of the Interior’s review into Shell’s failed Arctic attempt and the Government lassitude that allowed it to happen, Greenpeace US Executive Director Phil Radford condemned the Report as weak.

The review, which details the cavalcade of disasters that plagued Shell’s adventures in the Arctic, makes a series of recommendations that would require better paperwork from Shell before they go up North again.

“The Government should be embarrassed for granting Shell the permits it did this year, but instead the report blithely congratulates agencies for working together so well. Secretary Salazar hit the nail on the head today when he bluntly characterized Shell as screwing up in the Arctic. That this Government gave them an official blessing could well be Secretary Salazar’s legacy. He will be remembered for presiding over one oil disaster in the Gulf Of Mexico and setting the scene for one in the Arctic.

“This Report merely gives Big Oil a slap on the wrist, leaving it to the new head of the Department of Interior to stand up to Shell and ConocoPhillips and get the U.S. firmly on the path to a clean, spill-free future. We hope that soon-to-be Secretary Jewell will exhibit a new kind of leadership, centered on making principled choices today to avoid passing problems on to future leaders and future generations.”

“What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic. Allowing the world's richest companies to drill for the very oil that is causing the Arctic to melt will only lock us into a future with more superstorms, more droughts, and more resource conflict around the world.

“Certainly the Obama administration has all the evidence it will ever need that drilling in the Arctic is a recipe for disaster,” Mr Radford said.